Transportation or movement of infirmed, non-ambulatory or ambulatory-restricted patients or patrons within a medical facility, nursing home or assisted living facility is common and may occur many times a day for various reasons. Movement of patients or patrons within the facility or elsewhere generally involves the use of a personal transport vehicle such as a wheelchair, gurney or mobile stretcher. The movement or transport of such patients or patrons quite often includes the simultaneous movement of medical equipment that may be physically attached to the patient or patron for monitoring purposes and/or for intravenously feeding or medicating the individual.
Individuals requiring intravenous fluids or medications generally receive such fluids or medications through the use of elevated bags or pumping mechanisms attached to a support unit or stand located next to, or in close proximity with, the infirmed individual. It is important, and quite often crucial, that the intravenous fluids and/or medications being given to an infirmed individual be moved along with the individual so as not to interrupt or terminate the flow of such fluids or medications which may be critical to said individual. In many cases, devices that monitor the vital statistics of such individuals must also be moved along with the individuals during transport. Free standing mobile intravenous infusion units, or “I.V. stands”, are commonly used to hold and also transport such fluids, medications or other medical equipment attached to infirmed individuals as they are being transported from one location to another. A typical mobile I.V. stand in use today includes a vertical pole or standard attached to a wheeled or castered base and is provided with one or more limbs, hooks or mounting brackets situated near the top of the I.V. stand for the attachment of feeding or medication bags, I.V. pumps, monitors and/or other medical equipment attached to the infirmed individual. Generally, unless the patient or patron is physically capable of holding and guiding the portable I.V. stand during the transport operation (which is an inherently dangerous and otherwise impractical proposition), at least two attendants are required to safely move the patient and to maintain his or her accompanying I.V. stand in close proximity to the patient during said movement. The use of two attendants to move one individual is obviously very costly and is an inefficient utilization of valuable personnel.
Typically, once a patient or patron has been transported to a desired location, the patient or patron must then be removed, at least temporarily, from the transport vehicle for whatever purpose(s) or event(s) (treatment, therapy, tests, etc.), which occasioned the relocation of said patient or patron. It is therefore very important that a nurse or other attendant be able to quickly and easily release the I.V. stand containing the patient's medical equipment from any coupling mechanism attached to the transport vehicle or otherwise so as to allow the I.V. stand to accompany the patient when the patient is removed from the transport vehicle for treatment. This would be especially important in emergency or life threatening situations.
Various devices have been proposed for attaching, tethering or rigidly affixing mobile I.V. stands to the transport vehicles being used to move or relocate infirmed individuals. However, known devices, such as those disclosed in applicant's information disclosure statement submitted herewith, are not without disadvantages, limitations and/or shortcomings which are overcome by the design and operation of the present invention.
For example, a device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,074 issued to Smith teaches a coupling mechanism for the attachment of a mobile I.V. stand to one of the lower tubular cross members supporting a foldable wheelchair. Attachment of a mobile I.V. stand to a wheelchair utilizing this device requires the mobile I.V. stand to be positioned directly behind the wheelchair and between the push handles of the chair. Depending on the condition of the patient or patron, a mobile I.V. stand may be required to support one or more feeding or medication bags, pumps, and/or various monitoring devices as well as the flow or sensory lines attached these devices. The position and placement of a mobile I.V. stand in the manner suggested by the Smith reference not only obstructs the vision of the attendant, but also invades the physical space of the attendant thereby requiring the attendant to straddle the I.V. stand when attempting to walk and push the wheelchair. The positioning of the clamping mechanism of this reference also requires an attendant to stoop, squat or sit in order to attach the mobile I.V. stand to the wheelchair or to release the mobile I.V. stand from the wheelchair.
Another device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,391 to Schneider, presents a mobile I.V. stand coupled to the upper frame of a wheelchair. This coupling method uses a clamp and latch means having a pair of interconnected hemi-cylindrical pieces attached to a telescoping tubular member for grasping and holding the pole or standard of a mobile I.V. stand. Disadvantages of this reference include difficulty of attaching the pole or standard of a mobile I.V. stand to the clamp and latch means of the device and of quickly and easily detaching and removing the mobile I.V. stand from the device when the patient is being removed from the chair. A further disadvantage of this reference includes the position of the clamp and latch mechanism that is restricted to the front of the wheelchair and interferes with patient access to and from the wheelchair, even when the device is in a fully retracted configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,680 to Scharf, et al. discloses another coupling mechanism for towing a mobile I.V. stand behind a wheelchair using a tether. This device contemplates the use of upper and lower rear extension members rigidly attached to one of the rear support legs of a wheelchair and having a pair of towing rods pivotally connected to upper and lower post couplers. In order to use the device, the upper and lower post couplers must be attached to the pole or standard of the mobile I.V. stand using a first and second semi-cylindrical member threadably engaged one to the other. The upper and lower post couplers of this reference are securely attached to the pole or standard of the mobile I.V. stand and are pivotally attached to the upper and lower towing rods of the upper and lower rear extension members. The post couplers of this reference are not designed to be quickly detached or easily uncoupled and, in fact, the couplers and the respective towing rods attached thereto are designed to remain with the mobile I.V. stand pole or standard once they are installed. The attachment of an I.V. stand to the coupling mechanism in the manner described by this reference would allow the stand to uncontrollably pivot or swing back and forth behind the transport vehicle as the vehicle is being turned or moved. Release of the mobile I.V. stand is accomplished by mechanically disconnecting the towing rods from the upper and lower rear extension members. Another problem or disadvantage associated with this reference is the obstruction of vision and the limitation of movement of the attendant due to the I.V. stand being moveably situated behind the transport vehicle and the intravenous lines and/or other equipment lines to the infirmed individual being required to cross in front of and/or around the attendant.
The present invention is a modification and significant improvement over prior art and incorporates unique and novel design features which distinguish the invention over the existing art.